Heights Business District  

The Arlington Heights Neighborhood Action Plan (AHNAP) was published by the Town in 2019. This Plan includes recommendations related to zoning, design standards, parking, wayfinding, streetscape improvements, placemaking at the MBTA-owned Arlington Heights Busway, and other local regulations. One of the key recommendations in the plan is to create one entirely new business district to replace the existing business districts. The current zoning in Arlington Heights was found to be complicated and acts as a barrier for both supporting the growth of the existing vibrant small business community and attracting new businesses desired by the community.

Below, you can find information on the public process to date and next steps, with the goal to bring this recommendation to Town Meeting in 2027.  

If you have additional comments or questions, please contact the Economic Development Coordinator. 

Project Background 

The current zoning in Arlington Heights is confusing, duplicative and does not foster a cohesive business district, making it difficult for existing businesses to grow or for new, desired businesses to enter. A business district, tailored to the distinctive vision for the neighborhood, can solidify the corridor as a walkable mixed-use area. The new district, called the Heights Business District (“HBD”), would include more as-of-right uses and dimensional requirements tailored for the area. 

Planning Process and Prior Meetings  

November 5, 2025 - Community Forum: A community forum for the proposed Arlington Heights Business District held on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at the Pierce Elementary School. Around fifty residents were in attendance. A presentation on the work to date was shared and then attendees were then broken into groups of about ten and shared their thoughts on the vision statement, led by DPCD staff and members of the Committee. Feedback from the discussions were recorded are being brought back to the Committee and DPCD staff for review. An online feedback form was available to solicit feedback for community members who could not attend (20+ responses received). 

February/March 2025 – Heights Visioning Survey: When re-engagement efforts resumed in 2024, a new survey was called for given the lapse in time since community engagement originally occurred. A new online survey was created and distributed from February through March of 2025. A total of 1,239 responses were collected. This is a report summarizing the findings from this survey. Respondents were asked questions about the existing business community, preferences for building features, parking meters, underutilized properties and opportunities for improvements. The result from this survey directly guides the work of the Committee and staff. 

October 29, 2024 – Community Forum: The first re-engagement community forum for the proposed Arlington Heights Business District and Planned Unit Development was held on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at the Pierce Elementary School. Around forty residents were in attendance.

Arlington Heights Neighborhood Action Plan Implementation Committee 

The Arlington Heights Neighborhood Action Plan Implementation Committee was formed by the Arlington Redevelopment Authority in 2019 to oversee the implementation of the AHNAP.  

Committee Contact: Katie Luczai, Economic Development Coordinator, kluczai@town.arlington.ma.us